Behind The Mask
by The madness speaks
Summary: A mask. All she had was a mask. A mask to hide in, to help her cope, but when he came, it cracked. she crumbled. but it didn't stop her. "why" he whispered. blood dripped from her mouth "because I promised" she could never stop.
1. Chapter 1

_A mask. All she had was a mask. A mask to hid in, to help her cope, but when he came, it cracked. she crumbled. but it didn't stop her. "why" he whispered. blood dripped from her mouth "because I promised" she could never stop._

Sakura let the dark hood over her head fall in the wind, she took a deep breath though her nose and stood from her knelt position on top of the first hokage head, sakura took another deep break before leaning forward letting herself drop from the mountain. She fell head first, sakura could her the wind brush her ears and her cloths rustling, right before she hit the ground sakura flip herself in mid-air and landed on all fours. In the centre of the leaf village, the hokage sat behind her wooden desk staring at the cup of green tea that had gone cold hours ago.

"You know your mission"

She spook, now turning her head to the window on her left. Sakura, her student stood in the open window frame. Her hair slightly dishevelled, Tsunade noted that it looked a bit wind swept.

"Anbu are nameless, they throw away their emotions for the sake of the mission"

"Yes, hokage-sama"

Sakura took a step down from the window frame, she approach her teacher and bowed in respect.

"Lock them away under the mask."

Sakura recited, remembering the words a fellow anbu told her before giving her the mask. Sakura put her hands together in a seal and disappeared out of the room in a swarm of leaves. Tsunade sighed and used her hand to rub her temples it was 4am and she was feeling the beginnings of a headache. The blond haired sage opened her draw on the desk and lifted a file that was getting bigger over the months; a picture attached with a paperclip stared at her it was a picture of a ten year old boy, with onyx eyes and hair to match. The former member of team seven, Sasuke Uchiha.

Tsunade bit her lip, the file said former team member and she was sure that the Uchiha boy considered himself no longer apart of the team or the leaf village itself, however it was uncertain how team seven thought of the boy now. Tsunade looked at the still open window, picking up her abounded cup of tea. It was uncertain how sakura thought of the boy now. Tsunade was certain to find out by the results of the mission she gave her student. The mission was simple but had an extremely low chance of survival. `Clear out the bingo book` the elders had insisted on it to test the current anbu level. The new recruits where given fractions of the book as targets. The ones who died where deem not ready to be anbu yet. The cup cracked under her strength.

"Unfit?" she mumbled,

"They would be fucking dead!"

She screamed, throwing her cup against the wall. She put her hands on the desk; eyes clenched shut as she tried to compose herself. Sakura was 22 years old, far too young to die, Tsunade thought but then Tsunade thought that everyone was too young to die.

"Lock them away under the mask."

Her students words echoed, Tsunade used that advice during these moments it something the anbu consistently said. She never liked those words but ninjas do horrible things to themselves for the sake of the mission, for the sake of the village.

Sakura was standing on a high tree branch close to the village; she looked back at her home. The mask in her hands felt cold and hard, she pulled the mask on over her face, her short hair in a ponytail now being covered by a black hood. Her usual pink outfit from before was replaced with the standard anbu outfit, her tattoo was covered by a bandage on her left arm. It had long since healed but she hadn't taken a moment to take the bandage off. Sakura knelt on the branch on all fours before pushing off, she jumped and flipped to different trees heading north, the mission given to all new anbu agents was assigned two weeks ago, two that she knew of died, one was unaccounted for and the remaining seven had been reporting back as normal, some had acquired their target others were still tracking them down. Sakura had killed the first page of her section of the bingo book.

A ninja considered to be a traitor for abounding his mission. Any agents sent to him had never return meaning that he had been in the bingo book for seven years sakura found him working on a farm on the outskirts of the land of fire. Sakura had managed to sneak behind the middle aged man and slit his throat with a kunai, his senses were dulled over the years and he had neglected his training. Sakura found out why that was because after setting the body in a blue flame she had jumped to a nearby tree, turning around to take a finale look and she had seen a women come out of the back door of the farm house. Her had brunette hair and seemed to be in her late twenties. Sakura had no idea who she was or if she had a relation with the target but sakura did know that there were tears staining her face as she watched the man burn. Sakura felt sick after every kill that she made but she had turned around that day feeling empty and cold, when she got back to the village only after she took off her mask did sakura break down and cried. She reported back to the village looking pale and ill but no one dared ask her about it, she was anbu this much was expected of her.

Sakura jumped down from the tree she was in the next page of her bingo book was a women, early thirty's with dull red hair that frizzed and stood out in every direction. Sakura never skipped pages and took them one at a time. she had no idea who was her next target until after the current kill. The women's crime was killing her entire team and deserting her mission. Sakura took note her anbu rank and held onto the hilt of her katana on her belt the handle was red with thin black bindings wrapping around it, the blade itself was black. A gift kakashi got for her, she thought it was less a congratulations-present but more of a `you-may-need-more-protection-now-gift`. Regardless sakura was thankful for the sword. Sakura walked a few more feet until her heard the voices of few people on her left, she put her back to the tree and waited. Her target was sitting on a stump of a fallen tree camp fire besides her, sakura didn't feel right about this her Intel told her the target should be in hiding in the land of iron, in a small village mostly populated by samurai. Sakura knew she was still in the borders of the land of fire. She also knew she had heard multiple voices; her position behind the tree didn't give her a good view of the entire camp site.

The target otherwise known as Kogame was talking to a hooded figure, she and sakura knew there were at least three others hiding in the trees. The hooded figure took a step forward drawing a long sword and stepping into sakura's view. Sakura acted fast , she threw a kunai with an explosive tag and quickly jumped to a different tree changing her position, Kogame and the other figure had jumped back to avoid the explosion. Kogame had jumped back onto a thin wire cutting into her shoe and making a slight cut on her foot. Kogame jerked back by reaction and sakura had wasted no time in-between throwing the kunai and setting the wire, used another kunai to stab her target in the back of the neck, and impaling the stop of the spinal cord killing her in seconds. Sakura jumped away narrowly avoiding getting hit by a thrown long sword; she saw currents fly off of it signalling the hooded character had lighting as an element. Sakura watched from a high branch as the character took of his hood, revealing onyx coloured hair and eyes to match.

Sasuke Uchiha looked up at a tree where a woman stood, anbu mask concealing her face, the mask was carved with cat ears and animalised features painted in black. She crouched low on her tree branch ready to strike. The cat like mask and her position reminded sasuke of a cat, the black holes for eyes stared at him giving him no emotion, sakura moved, rising her hips slightly and pushing chakra into her limbs she pushed off the branch using momentum to spin herself in mid-air gaining more force as she flew closer to sasuke, he watched her take out her own sword in mid spin and clash into his drawn kunai, they held there for a millisecond with weapons clashing, sakura's body in the air applying full body weight into her sword and the strength from the leap, sasuke pulled out another kunai and slashed at her mask, Green. The anbu he was fighting could now be seen with on green eye staring at him from the cut he made at her mask. The anbu had jumped back and immediately push off again slashing at him with a sword that wasn't designed for close ranged attacks as she was using it for, the anbu stayed close to the ground being quick on her feet, he notice her attacks pushing him away from his sword and stood his ground filling his hand with lightening. Sakura jumped back and threw a smoke bomb on the ground, when the smoke cleared sasuke was left standing with the justu still activated in his hands and kogames body was gone.

The rest of sasuke's team jumped out of the hiding places in the trees, sasuke turned to stare at the them.

"Mate, we would of helped you out if their of even a chance too, the fight was over in less than a minute and that anbu was keeping up with your speed which I can't normally see anyway."

Suigetsu explained, leaning against a tree with his hands holding his head in a relaxed pose. Sasuke narrowed his glare slightly and turned away, signalling it was time to move. The team jumped after him chasing after the anbu agent. Sasuke thought of the green eyes they reminded him of eyes filled with hope. This anbu's eyes were a paler green, dull and lifeless.

Sakura jumped with the dead weight on her back, her target shouldn't have had any ties with sasuke or orrchimaru so why were they found together? She went though and analysed every information she had on the case and it didn't add up. Sakura was breaking protocol by bringing the body back to the village instead of burning it, but she may be able to uncover something in an autopsy. Sakura was brought back to reality when a blur of orange crashed into her

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

The body was knocked out of her hands and on to the floor, naruto sat on top of her straddling her hips with the biggest grin she had seen all day. Sakura frowned, naruto wasn't supposed to be here; he was on a mission in the west. Sakura sat up and raised her hand to flick naruto in the forehead.

"Idiot what are you doing here?"

Naruto held his head where a red mark was starting to form. "Old lady Tsunade sent me, another anbu died this morning" naruto clenched his fists and looked down in anger. The fact that naruto still showed such distress at hearing of death made her smile, they hadn't seen each other in months and sakura had spent most of her time with other emotionless anbu agents. They didn't flinch at death or at the thought of ending a life. Sakura held naruto in a hug pressing her head into his chest for a few moments; she heard rustling of leaves behind her and whispered a plan in his ear.

Team herbi stood still but tense awaiting orders from sasuke, they stood in the opening watching the anbu agent embrace a ninja they recognise, naruto growled out sasuke's name but instead of charging at him like they expected him to naruto jumped over to the abounded body of Kogame, team herbi moved out of the way in time for the anbu crashing into the ground where they were standing but using her hands to make a large trench into the earth beneath her fists She flipped off the ground into another crouching position off to the side. Sasuke watched naruto take off with the body, giving a quick glance back to his teammate before jumping though the trees. More exploding tags hit the ground beneath their feet.

"Well ~ hello drop dead gorgeous"

Suigetsu flirted with the anbu now unmistakably a girl as her hood had come back to reveal pink hair that was strongly associated with naruto's other teammate.

"Cute, very cute"

Suigetsu's flirtatious smile was gone, quickly replaced with a look of pain as he fell over with a sword stuck in his chest, sakura had moved quickly she took the sword out of his body slicing the muscle as she did blood dripped down her sword hidden by the black blade and only seen as it hit the ground. Suigetsu grumbled in pain.

"idiot Just turn into water!"

Yelled Karin from a distance, Suigetsu just stayed where he was, holding on to the bleeding hole in his chest, the moment the sword was out he was able to liquefy again. Sasuke was behind her in seconds whispering in her ear. He whispered the name of his old teammate. He expected a reaction from her but she only disappeared quicker than he did, only to reappear behind Karin giving a strong back hand to her cheek, Karin went flying into a tree, she turned to Juugo, her eyes currently only visible eye softening. She walked calmly towards him

"You've done nothing wrong please stand back"

Her voice was soft but still held a note of threat in it, Juugo was confused he frowned at her

"you don't look like a fighter to me"

She told him calmly as if she was comforting a child, Juugo notice her sword was still dribbling with Suigetsu's blood.

"Sakura"

Sasuke said that name again,

"Take your team and leave"

She turned to look at him her visible eye looked cold and her voice was low and deadly

"Aww~ pay attention to me too"

Sakura turned around to see Suigetsu standing up looking like he didn't just get stabbed in the stomach

"Where's Naruto?"

Sakura ripped her mask off, pointing at him with it, sakura was glaring at him with some much force he felt her will of wanting to end his life. Sakura was fuming with anger. She wanted to kill him, maim him, and cause him so much pain that he might feel a fraction of what he's put naruto though

`And to you`

Inner sakura spoke but she pushed the emotion back, she put her sword back in hilt and jumped at sasuke gaining her footing she kicked and punched him at lightning speed, her attacks came at him fast and strong, this time she didn't stay low to the ground but fought with power and emotion rather than calculated hits.

"fuck. You."

She growled at him, jumping back and unsheathing her long sword. Her sword slashed at Sasuke but he never once tried to take his own out, sakura's attacks never let up. Sasuke took a kunai from his sleeve and aimed for her leg the metal cut though her flesh as blood leaked out of the wound Sakura jumped back on to a tree branch away from Sasuke did a few hand signs, she threw her sword at the man she hated and put her hands in to the finale hand sign.

"Burning blossoms"

She whispered, sasuke world went black went a few cherry blossom petals floated down sasuke was calm he held out his hand to catch one but when it met skin, the flesh burned. Then each petal lit up in flames. They multiplied by hundreds each hitting sasuke until he was surrounded by burning blossoms, his blood-line trait was activated and he saw though the trick.

"KAI!"

The darkness was gone and the petals faded away but the burns did not. He looked at her still crouching on the branch her sword still stuck in the ground by his feet. Sakura stood up from her branch with massive amount of fire circling her body, her hair floated softly around her.

Sakura leapt off the branch she was standing on, the fire still flowing around her body, anger blinded her attacks as she punched and kicked fire surrounding her arms and legs as she tried to land a hit Sasuke used his sharraingan to see though her attacks, Sasuke put his hands to his mouth and sent a fire justu her way, only for her to just run through it, her own fire protecting her.

Sasuke felt anger boil in the pit of his stomach. Just as he was distracted sakura sent a kick to his rib cage breaking a few bones as he collided with a tree.

"Damn it"

Sasuke mumbled under his breath, sakura was standing above him, her sword in hand. She took a swing at him and just as the metal was about to pierce his skin sakura stopped Sasuke looked up at her, wet drops hit his face as she was standing over his fallen form. her hand holding the tree for balance it formed a fist against the bark. The sword went limp at her side her mask was on the side of her face. Everything stopped for Sasuke; he stared at the pinkette and felt her tears fall on to his face. In the corner of his eye a kunai was heading towards her. He was frozen on the spot as she flipped away from it

"You bitch that hit was a lucky shot!"

Karin jumped out of her tree and fully glared at sakura

Sakura had her head turned away from them, she moved her mask back over her face, The tears were hidden. Sasuke stood from his sitting position on the floor. Karin charged towards her kunai in hand, sakura was about to block however a figure stood in front or her and took the blow for her. Sakura took this chance to punch Karin the face sending her for the second time into a tree.

"You idiot!"

Sakura caught the figure as he fell, his mouth curled into a smile.

"Me? You're the one who thought I'd be fine with leaving you on your own"


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura lifted her friend/brother away from the enemy. Naruto's arm was around sakura's neck to keep him up, as green charka flowed out of her hand and soothed the pain away, her charka stitched his flesh together, so no mark left on his chest. She frowned at him, naruto somehow knowing from behind her mask just grinned back and stood up so he could he point at Sasuke, no longer needing sakura's support.

"BASTERED WE'RE GONNA DRAG YOUR ASS BACK!"

Sakura's eye twitched but she kept quiet and stepped in the shadow of the tree behind her, Sasuke grunted at his former teammate.

"SASUKE!"

Suigetsu ran out of the forest and into the clearing.

"Pinkie stole Juugo"

It took three seconds for Sasuke to get his mind around what was just said and three seconds for Naruto to think of `whose pinkie?`

The sakura who had hid in the shade of a tree was gone and had been replaced by a clone.

"Naruto it's time to go"

"What?"

Naruto was confused by the sudden turn of events

"Another time let's go!"

Naruto and the clone jumped out of the clearing using charka to increase their speed.

"Follow them"

Sasuke ordered

The sky was getting darker as Naruto and the clone leaped across the tree's trying to get more distance between them and team herbi.

"Sakura-Chan what happened?"

Naruto asked

"it's part of the plan Naruto"

Naruto was confused but said nothing more, as the sakura clone looked a bit annoyed at something, the clone flipped towards the next branch as a kunai landed in her stomach causing her to dispel.

"Where's Juugo"

Naruto landed on the next branch and turned round to face team herbi, but instead of answering he made 5 clones while running away again

'Damn it running away is just not my style! What are you doing Sakura-Chan?"

Naruto increased his speed while heading towards what he thought was Sakura's charka. Naruto jumped down into a clearing to see a another sakura clone

"Sakura-Chan?"

"Keep going Naruto I'll buy you sometime"

Naruto nodded in understanding and jumped into the trees once more; taking some wires the clone started her work.

It didn't take long for Sasuke's team to defeat the clones but having to chase down the people who used to do it to him was starting to annoy the young Uchiha.

"Sasuke-kun I sense the bitches' charka up ahead but it seems weaker"

Sasuke frowned at the name but mentally slapped himself for caring; the group got nearer to the charka, Suigetsu ran in front of Sasuke causing Sasuke and Karin to stop

"Oi bastered! Why did you run in front of Sasuke-kun?"

Suigetsu pointed his sword the tiny wire just in front of his face

"Wires you guys would have been sliced in half"

Suigetsu told her with a grin; Karin huffed in anger while Sasuke grunted.

"Aw pity he saw that"

The group looked up to see an upside down sakura

"Sasuke-kun it's a clone"

Karin mumbled to Sasuke, 'sakura' walked over to them, still upside down,

"I can't let you guys past here"

Sasuke frowned at that

"You're only a fraction of pinkies charka it'll be easy to kill you"

Suigetsu smiled at his own words and took a step forward forgetting the wire in front of him, the wire so thin it sliced in to his face causing him to turn into water

"Whoa that was close"

Suigetsu gave a nervous smile back at his team before jumping towards 'Sakura' swinging his sword at her. She looked on as two wires sliced though his chest making him reform in mid-air carrying on his attack

"Moron lookout"

Karin was too late as the clone threw a paper bomb at him,

"Damn it!"

Suigetsu cursed gathering his body as the explosion had made him liqurify. But he smiled evilly at the clone before saying

"You too go on ahead I'll finish this"

Sasuke led Karin though the wires with his bloodline trait only for her to get a few scratches anyway. They both jumped into another clearing facing another sakura

"It's the real one Sasuke-kun"

Sakura stood with her sword in hand, no Juugo or Naruto in sight

"Where's Juugo, sakura?"

Sasuke's voice was plain and bored but his face showed he was annoyed. Sakura didn't answer but she held up a small bottle with purple liquid inside, and smiled right as Karin fell to the ground ghostly white.

"She got scratched by those wires"

Sakura stated simply still holding the little bottle

"Give me the antidote sakura"

Sasuke commanded, but sakura didn't listen

"One's poisoned, ones missing and ones trapped in wires. Not the best team huh?"

Sasuke was getting more annoyed as this went on but he was mostly annoyed at how Sakura thought of this

'She's not innocent anymore'

He thought suddenly, he didn't like it

"I need to talk to you"

Cloaked anbu appeared beside sakura

"Sakura-sama hokage-sama has requested your return"

"Run out of time huh?"

Sasuke threw shrunken at the anbu

"Another time Sasuke"

Sakura looked at him the mask giving nothing away as they transported with a poof. Suigetsu ran out of the forest as soon as the anbu were gone. Sasuke turned to Karin to see the colour in her face was coming back.

"The clone was only there to stall for time"

Sasuke mumbled

"Yeah she also told me that the poison was very weak too"

Suigetsu said while smirking at Karin, Karin blushed at fainting at such a weak poison

"What I don't get is She could have killed Karin or me but she didn't?"

"She never wanted to kill us"

Sasuke answered

"Why?"

Suigetsu questioned,

"She always was too soft"

Sasuke glared at the sky blaming it for this situation.

"Sasuke-sama"

They all turned to see Juugo limp towards them

"Juugo what happened"

Juugo explained that he was about to run to help Sasuke during his fight with the pinkette but a clone had jumped in fount of him, Juugo's curse mark had throbbed in his neck, and he held it in pain but looked at up the supposed enemy.

"Juugo-san I'm sorry"

Sakura smiled sadly at him before knocking him unconscious with a Genjustu, when he came to the blond one was carrying him, Naruto ran through the forest carrying the heavy man, Naruto noticed Juugo waking up, naruto quickly dropped to the ground letting Juugo get of him before moving to a safe distance.

"Sorry man but Sakura-Chan told me to keep you away till she was done"

Juugo looked confused/

"Sakura-Chan wants to talk to the bastered not sure why but don't worry sakura-Chan hates to see others hurt so your team will probably be fine"

"But we're the enemy"

Naruto continued to stare ahead but his face showed sadness

"Yeah people keep telling us that the mercy we show to our enemies we be our downfall"

Juugo kept quite leaving Naruto to his thoughts

"This should be enough"

"See ya"

Naruto grinned before he jumped in to the trees again


	3. Chapter 3

"Sasuke-sama what did she ask you?"

"hn, She couldn't, the anbu took her away before she could say anything"

Everyone turn to suigetsu, who laughed nervously

"I was hiding in the bushes"

"Ha! That bitch went through all that trouble just to be drag away before she could speak"

Karin laughed, while Sasuke started walking in the direction of konoha

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Our mission is not done"

Sasuke stated.

"ah! That bitch took the body with her!"

"hn, we're heading to konoha"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Sakura?"

The trip back to konoha was silent and tense, naruto was angry they missed their chance to bring sasuke back but sakura had told him to run.

"I have completed my mission, the target is dead and I'll explain in my report why I didn't burn the body, its fine naruto, I was never sent to kill him. We had a deal right?"

Sakura faced him with a smile, naruto smiled back but he still worried, however he knew they'll talk later, he frowned at the other anbu guarding them as they made their way home, the emotionless masks were cold. Naruto hated them. Back in konoha sakura reported back to the hokage. She filled in all the details in the written report.

"Sasuke knew the target Kogame?"

"Yes, hokage-sama, at least they had some kind of business together"

The blond leaned back into her chair she smiled at her appetence's success and glad that they both return safely but she worried of what dangers this will lead.

"Sakura, you will be careful won't you?"

Sakura looked at her teacher, the women who taught her to be strong, who become her hero as much as her master. She loved her teacher like family, now seeing the strong and brave hokage worry about her. Sakura smile.

"You've taught me well shisho"

Tsunade confidence came back and grinned at her pupil. She dismissed her and naruto with a wave of her hand and turned her desk chair to the windows in her office overlooking the entire village. Her grin stopped when a feeling over undesirable dread came over her, a storm was coming.


End file.
